EXTREME PREJUDICE
by Neil Davies1
Summary: A mysterious girl called Spider, an unseen assassin, a hedonistic club on a small asteriod and the 5th Doctor are the ingredients of this short adventure.


**EXTREME PREJUDICE**

She blended with the dark perfectly, which was the idea of course not to be seen or noticed to be a ghost. Her black tight fitting cat suit, equally black boots and died spiky black hair were ideal for the long alleyway, which broadened out at the far end into a kind of oasis ringed by tall trash bins and an odd looking shed.

Not moving, barely breathing Spider listened, she couldn't afford to miss anything not a scuffing step or a cough or the rustle of tight fabric. Anything that gave her hunter away worked in her favour. Touching her 8 legged pendant for luck she took another long, slow breath.

Did she dare move could she chance it or was it wiser to stay where she was. With nightfall the temperature plummeted here and soon there'd be a sheen of ice everywhere for her to slide and trip on. If she was going to get undercover now was the time to do it.

Shivering she risked a half step, paused with pricked ears then risked another. Nothing happened; the night around her was still. Maybe she'd lost him with all that doubling back, she had after all been extra careful. This guy was a pro, the best they said he never failed. Well he was going to fail with her; no way was she dying in this dump.

Scooting to fresh cover she squatted, not stupid enough to try a torch or use her communicator; who could she call anyway?

Silence hung in the air oppressive and ever present. She shot for her next cover a stinking overflowing bin. That was when it happened; a blinding flash that split the gloom apart as though cleaving the very night itself.

Blinded for a moment she reared back thrown off balance the bin ahead of her burst into flames, not just the trash but the plasmic shell which began to melt in thick green rivulets of molten matter.

Back to her last cover, what other choice was there? Another flash and this was up in flames to.

Exploding in to a sprint Spider roared up the alley, having no other options, if she couldn't go back then there was only one hope. As she neared the odd shed something inexplicable happened, at least to her. A door on it opened and a man emerged, some civilian in too bright clothes with long blond hair and an open enquiring face.

"Get down," she screamed at him just a third blast shot overhead to punch a wedge of brickwork from the far wall.

Muttering something like "good gracious," the blond man moved with surprising agility to get himself behind the blue shed and guide her with him.

"We won't be safe here," Spider's voice was jumpy with fear but she hoped the gratitude came through as well.

Blue eyes scanning the alley the odd man gave a brief frown, "Up there," he pointed to a blocky tower, "He's picked his spot well."

She didn't have to say that the hunter was trying to kill her, surely the flaming debris and ruined wall made that obvious.

The next shot (as expected) hit the shed but something odd happened or rather didn't happen, the shed did not explode into flames it just glowed a brighter shade of blue for a moment then the lamp on top began to pulse gently.

Good grief what could it be made off to resist high intensity phaser fire?

"Yes," muttered the blond man, "47 degrees," he fiddled with a watch on his right wrist, the face of which seemed to blur and run like liquid mercury.

"He's got us pinned down," Spider felt she ought to point out?

"Not for long," such was his confidence that she felt a flutter of hope.

"Why, are you armed?"

"Not exactly but the tardis has a few tricks up her sleeve."

Did he mean the blue shed; it didn't look very impressive. But as another blinding burst came from on high it was curved in midair and redirected to the lamp on top of the shed, which promptly absorbed it, glowed very bright and spat it back in a wave of flickering blue particles.

Spider was sure she heard a distant cry, a popping sound, the smell of burning then running feet across the roof tops.

Smile beatific the blond man straightened up tapping his watch with an appreciative thumb, "Sent him away with a flea in his ear," stepping out into view with no apprehension he stood there an easy target but this time there was no deadly ray.

"It's all right, he's gone," he said and Spider craned her neck to see, having learned the hard way not to trust anyone or anything but the guy seemed to be right.

"The extremist never gives up," she warned.

"Is that his name," the tone was incredulous, "How pretentious these assassins can be."

There was nothing pretentious about the extremist he was the best, a 100% kill record and she was about to say so when the blond man removed an odd silver wand from his jacket and waved it through the air.

"Yes he's taken flight, gone to ground in that structure over there with the garish multi-coloured lights."

"How do you know," she was intrigued.

"The tardis caused his power pack to overload and I can follow the trail of residue with this," the wand was indicated, its tip buzzing a soft blue.

"He's gone to Club X," said Spider, this was the biggest night club on this rock in fact it was the only night club a vast many sided lump with a cavernous interior and huge X blazing on top of a high roof spire, you couldn't miss it and most didn't try.

"You're not going there," Spider was appalled?

"I can't think of any other way of tracking this chap down."

Madness, suicide, "Why would you want to do that?"

Instead of answering he offered his hand, "I'm the Doctor."

His grip was soft but firm and she immediately felt more confident like just being with this Doctor made things a whole lot better.

Walking with brisk confidence he marched up the alley using his wand like a torch, eventually it illuminated a sign EXTREME PREJUDICE and he paused to ponder, "What does this mean – district, area; is it a rock group perhaps?"

Spider had no idea what a rock group was, "It's everything, the whole asteroid."

This was greeted with a thoughtful nod, "A small asteroid half of which is filled with this town," he seemed to be talking to himself, "Yet there's no industry here, no manufacturing and no obvious jobs."

"People come here to escape," she replied.

"Is that why you're here," the question was so direct that she blushed and she rarely did that.

"Club's this way," she evaded dodging past him and through a pale gate that led to one of 17 entrances and exits, the door was unlocked as usual and there was no bouncer. Even so the Doctor hung back running his wand through the air for a moment before following her inside.

At once they were consumed by the sound of voices, soft musak, the clink of gaming machines and the tinkle of glasses. Spider eased around a couple embracing each other with a profusion of long tentacles, each had three mouths and these were all locked together in passionate kisses that caused the Doctor to raise an eyebrow.

The gaming machines were all lined up against one wall, they were futuristic one arm bandits but instead of a lever players inserted their wrists into a slot for pulses to be measured and blood extracted.

She made her way past the zombies towards a free table, at other table sat a mix of blue, green and varicoloured humanoids some with hair many without, some with two eyes but plenty with more.

One being seemed to grow out of a huge Petri dish and had as many cybernetic limbs as organic ones, he acknowledged her with a fizzing purr and in response she blinked at him with her left eye.

"You get served at the table here, no bar," Spider told her companion who was glancing around bedazzled by it all, maybe he'd never seen so many exotic alien life forms before or perhaps he wasn't a clubber.

"Why would the extremist come here," he remarked as they took their seats and he played with the wand?

"Easy to hide in a crowd," she guessed.

"Possibly," not sounding convinced he lowered the wand, "Too much interference from the gaming machines," he placed it in a pocket just as a female in a short tight skirt and purple skin made her way over, she was smooth headed with three eyes and held a small digital pad.

Around her high neck was a tear-shaped pendant that could have been made of the same alloy as Spider's

"What'll it be," she addressed Spider who knew the kid, her name as Azlee and they'd arrived on the same shuttle, Azlee drifted straight to this place to get herself a job.

"Something non alcoholic for me," the Doctor remarked studying the girl, "Evian or Perrier if you have it," seeing a frown he suggested, "Tea perhaps."

Spider rolled her eyes, "Get him a blooper, same for me," then had a thought, "Any new face sin here tonight Azlee I mean apart from," she nodded at the man beside her?

"No idea and I've been on shift for ages," the girl tapped her small pad, "Two bloopers coming right up."

Favouring the Doctor with a rare smile she cat walked away all hip roll.

"What's a blooper," he said with a lowered voice?

"Sort of fruity and minty high in vitamins."

"That waitress, what do you know about her," it didn't sound like a casual question.

"Just a kid; she's been here as long as me."

"Why would she lie about being on shift for ages I wonder," the remark caught Spider right on the chin?

"How do you know she's lying?"

"Didn't you see her shoes and tights there were splattered with mud and small stones like my footwear," he indicated his white pumps now more grey and brown as were the striped trousers.

"Keen observational skills," Spider granted him angry with herself for missing this detail, she'd always felt she could trust Azlee now she wasn't so sure.

"So why is this extremist trying to kill you, who have you annoyed," the Doctor's blue eyes were brilliant and piercing and they seemed to pulsate in this odd lighting?

"It's more complicated than that," she wasn't really in the mood for full disclosure after all she didn't really know this guy.

"Life usually is," he surmised.

"I don't exactly live a conventional life style."

"Nor do I," he was quick to agree.

"Can we just agree that I'm the victim of a misunderstanding," she tried.

"One that involves a hired assassin," she could tell he wasn't buying it but then the drinks arrived a blue-green paste in two tall glasses.

Azlee set them down then said, "Who's paying?"

Instantly offering her wrist Spider said, "How much?"

"3cc's," extending a hypo needle from her pad Azlee pricked the exposed flesh and drew off the required amount of blood.

Watching with a grimace the Doctor rubbed his own wrist in sympathy but Azlee didn't try to exanguinate him she had her 3 cc's.

"Thanks Spider," she said, "Enjoy your drinks."

"What," Spider applied a small pad to the entry wound.

"Blood as currency," he remarked with distaste.

"I've nothing else to pay with, anyway its normal here blood or tissue or an organ."

"A biological economy," he seemed amused staring down at the blooper before reaching into his jacket to extract a narrow long stemmed spoon which had the words 'Luigi's ice cream emporium Cromer' on the side. Scooping up some of the blue-green paste in the glass he took it to his lips.

"Hmm quite nice as you say fruity and minty," he savoured it then swallowed, "So your name is Spider," he took another scoop, "based on your ability to spin a yarn perhaps."

He was no fool this blond Doctor and she knew she'd have to watch what she said.

"You don't believe me," I challenged, "The killer shot at you too," I pointed out.

"Oh I don't doubt there are professional killers here, professionals of all kinds," he answered meaningfully."

"You don't trust me," she toyed with her blooper not enjoying it as much as she once had but his blue eyes were scanning the tables, the bar, the dance floor on which were a few sporadic figures then rising up to the balconies.

"Something doesn't add up," he muttered and the next instant Spider was on the floor on her side with the Doctor's body shielding her. First his glass then hers exploded in spectacular crescendos of crystal and gloop. She didn't hear any shots or see any beams but one second later their former table was cleaved in half.

"This way and keep down," the Doctor was on all fours as around them people shrieked and panicked. Spider found herself avoiding, feet, hooves and tentacles of all kinds as she and the blond man lizard-crawled across the sticky, moist, foul smelling floor.

She had no idea where they were going until they reached a huge gaming machine where he paused slightly out of breath, his hair moist with droplets of liquid, "We should be safe here, the angle is all wrong for him."

Spider looked but couldn't see any tell tale reflections, "Where is he?"

"Third balcony," she still couldn't see anyone.

"Nobody there," she had just said this when the gaming machine rocked, fizzed and began to smoke having taken a direct hit. Then it started haemorrhaging, blood leaking from at least three ruptures.

"Blood as currency," the Doctor mused, "At least it isn't ours," he added dryly.

Spider saw movement on the balcony a slim form, colourful clothing, "There he is," she touched her pendant, "Are you armed?"

But he had that wand out again and it didn't look to her like a gun, however when he aimed it the thing hummed and the lights above the balcony went out revealing the figure much clearer.

Spider raised her pendant, twisted the 5th leg and a bolt of green light shot upwards, the balcony edge splitting apart in a shower of plastic and timber.

"Handy," the Doctor mused.

Return fire destroyed a stool to their left, Spider sent another green bolt upwards, "I can keep him pinned down if you," but the Doctor was already sprinting to some stairs. He could really move she noted as his long legs carried him upwards with athletic grace.

Firing again she also moved needing to get a better vantage point and some less bloody cover, tripping on a pool of gore she went belly down near the bar. A moose faced alien regarded her with bleary eyes, "You the stripper," he asked in a lazy voice.

Having reached the balcony the Doctor dashed across it looking this way and that before giving a shrug _no sign of him._

Cursing Spider got up, sponged slime from her cat-suit and went up the stairs, "He can't have gone far," she said.

"Is there an exit leading off from here," but seeing a curtain the Doctor made for it.

"Careful he may be lying in ambush."

But the curtain was torn aside to reveal an open door and an empty passage, Spider struggled to keep up with those long legs but she wasn't going to lose the only friend she had.

"I see him," the voice was sharp as a distant door slammed.

"Do you want my pendant," she offered not really wanting to give it up?

No need said his backward gaze and the wand was brandished, she found him using it to unlock the door at the far end of the passage which was proving tricky.

"We're going to lose him," she groaned.

"He won't go far, he is after all trying to kill you," the door opened and a beam shot through it almost singing that blond fringe. Forced to slam the door shut the Doctor leaned on it.

"And me to it seems," he panted.

Spider felt her heart jump into her mouth, if her life had been fraught before it had just moved to a new level of dramatic. She ran away from trouble but this Doctor, he ran towards it.

"Do you want to get killed," she cried?

"The extremist is going to try and kill us anyway, why not face him on our terms not his?"

This from a man with no gun. He opened the door again and she cringed but there was no second laser blast. Slipping through the gap he waved her to follow and they emerged onto a latticework of gantries and crossways with metal ladders running down and up.

She blinked able to see a distant figure some yards ahead and above them, it turned to look back and Spider bent her knees to make herself a smaller target.

Remaining his full height the Doctor parted his arms and yelled, "Why don't we talk," in a voice that suggested neither malice nor deceit, "So much more civilised than shooting at each other, don't you think?"

Totally still the figure gazed at him probably as startled as Spider herself was, did the Doctor want to parlay with his opponent?

"Perhaps we can resolve this peacefully," smiling the blond man was an easy target, the extremist could hardly miss.

"Doctor," Spider half grunted and half hissed her words, "He's a professional killer."

"Maybe but I'm not," the youthful face looked like it had seen far too much of killing.

"He's been contracted and paid to kill me," Spider added.

"Yes but why, what for," now his gaze was fixed on her.

"It's complicated."

"All the more reason to open a dialogue," he was so calm and reasonable that she actually smiled.

"You really aren't from around here are you?"

"I doubt anyone actually is, this is one of those places people pass through en route to somewhere else."

Spider heard clanging on the gantry above them then on a ladder then on their gantry as the extremist moved into their line of sight.

"Ah Azlee the waitress with dirty boots, what a surprise," offering his hand the Doctor added a degree of brilliance to his boyish smile.

Jaw slack Spider gazed at the other girl, someone she'd thought of as a friend, "We came here together," she said, "I helped her get her job."

"We didn't arrive together by choice Spi," said the other girl lowering her hand held blaster a chunky gun metal grey instrument with two barrels.

"No indeed not," the Doctor purred, "You were hunting each other," his eyes glittered with amusement, "Two assassins."

Spider flinched as though struck, "I'm not a killer I'm the victim here, the target."

"Are you," the Doctor wasn't convinced, "What do you think Azlee?"

"Twelve attributed hits over the past solar year alone; I've been after her at least that long."

"She's lying," Spider exploded taking a step back to touch her pendant. Gun coming back up Azlee tensed.

"Lower your hand now Spi, I mean it."

"Perhaps," said the Doctor diplomatically, "You both should," he looked from one girl to the other.

"Who are you exactly, her boyfriend," Azlee was rigid with tension?

"Just a traveller; is your employer here by the way?"

Mouth a rigid line Azlee offered him nothing but a blank expression so he turned to Spider, the same question asked by a raised eyebrow.

She sighed seeing little point in maintaining her aura of innocence, he'd seen through it anyway, "yes," she sang "Petri dish on the table to our right."

"Ah the bio-cybernetic hybrid, I did wonder about him."

"Vaxan," Azlee snarled, "He hired me too."

Spider couldn't believe her ears, Vaxan had employed someone to kill her but she was working for him.

"That doesn't make any sense, why hire two killers to kill each other," she objected and saw the Doctor mulling it over.

"Yes that is odd," then a light seemed to come on behind his eyes and the youthful face relaxed into a smile, "On the other hand," wheeling around he headed back the way he'd come, "With me please," he called over his shoulder.

"Where are we going," Azlee held her ground?

"To see your employer of course; it's time he and I had a little chat."

Vaxan was where he had been before sat at a table drinking some purple concoction through a tall straw, his three biological arms and four cybernetic ones resting on the smooth polished surface of the table.

He didn't seem remotely surprised to see the Doctor or the two girls, drawing up a chair unasked the Doctor sat down facing him with a pleasant if challenging smile on his lips.

"You hired them to kill me didn't you," he said without preamble, nobody sat nearby took a blind bit of notice. In Club X you minded your own business.

"Did I," Vaxan had a vaguely public school voice, posh and lazy with an edge of menace and a dose of boredom?

Spider stared at him cross and humiliated, "The Doctor," she gasped, "He was the target all along?"

"Oh yes," the blond man concluded, "My guess is that Vaxan here is a middle man he takes commissions and was hired to hire you two. A lot of people want me dead."

"They do," Vaxan agreed his beady eyes now regarding the young man in the cricket blazer with interest and a degree of distaste.

"Then why not just send us after the Doctor," Azlee sounded unconvinced?

"Pawns," the Doctor surmised, "Unwitting pawns, Vaxan couldn't be sure when exactly I'd arrive here but didn't want you getting stale or growing bored, hence you were set to stalk each other."

"So which of us gets to shoot the Doctor or do we both do it," Azlee had her weapon aimed at the time lord's head.

Vaxan sighed, "I gave you both a pendant did I not and told you to keep it on at all times, I said it was priceless and it is," a low chuckle escaped the corpulent frame.

Now the Doctor's blue eyes flashed to Spider's 8 legged pendant and Azlee's tear-shaped one, he ran his sonic over them and pursed his lips.

"Duralinium," he said, "Which is valuable, yet what lies at the core is even more so."

"Each," Vaxan chuckled, "Contains a microgram of vastial a highly combustible element once exposed to air, at this close proximity so much of it would wipe out this entire club."

"But you're here," Azlee shifted her aim to the multi-limbed alien.

"I," he purred, "Have a way out."

Spider couldn't see it if he moved she'd kill him, "He's lying."

"Oh no," said the Doctor still amazingly calm and unruffled, "Short range transmat would be my guess to a ship in orbit, like the one I saw in the tardis on the way down, a Magellan class 3 cruiser with hyper-light drive."

Vaxan had no eyebrows but his eyes did register surprise, "Observant fellow and you're right of course. I transmat to my ship and the pendants explode."

It didn't seem to bother the alien that both girls were now very close to him and Spider had a short bladed knife in her right fist.

"Who are you working for," the Doctor picked up the glass of purple liquor to give it a curious sniff, "Daleks, Terrileptils; the Rani?"

"Discretion is my watch word Doctor; you'll never get me to tell."

"So you transmat to your ship and the relocation triggers a mechanism in the pendants, opening them to the air."

"Boom boom," the fat alien shook with merriment, "Nasty stuff vastial, highly unstable."

"Yes it is," the Doctor agreed, "I remember telling the cybermen that once," he balanced the glass in both hands, "A lot of innocent people will die if you do this Vaxan," tone now icy cold he locked eyes with the alien.

"Collateral damage Doctor; it can't be helped."

"I see then I'd better explain that my tardis didn't just pass your ship it popped onboard to allow me to deposit something on the bridge; you see I have a small supply of vastial myself, kept in stasis naturally."

The smug grin was gone in an instant and shifting uncomfortably Vaxan glared hard at his nemesis, "An obvious bluff."

"Oh no," and from his jacket pocket the time lord produced a small circuit board resting it on the table top for all to see, when he saw it Vaxan uttered a gargling splutter and seemed to quiver all over. He clearly recognised it and it was obviously from his ship.

"If you transmat the vastial on your ship is programmed to ignite," voice quite calm even conversational the Doctor twirled his sonic, "collateral damage," he added mimicking his rival's amused tone.

Eyes darting from side to side Vaxan seemed to consider the impasse then he croaked, "What do you want, money?"

Ignoring him the blond man turned to Azlee and Spider, "Very carefully remove and give me your pendants, it's all right they won't open my sonic is enclosing them in a short-range aural field. Sadly Vaxan here doesn't have the same protection."

Removing hers first Spider looked at it thinking it had once represented good luck, her hand shook as she offered it to the Doctor.

Not touching hers Azlee pressed her gun into the fat man's soft many folded neck, "I could blow your head off right now."

"I think," said the Doctor in a disarming tone, "That we can leave Vaxan to those who hired him, he can explain to them how and why he failed, I'm sure they'll be terribly understanding."

Flesh blanching the contractor closed his organic hands into tight fists, "You'll pay for this Doctor."

Not finished with him the Doctor studied the jewels festooning the man's elegant robes, "How much did he offer you to kill me?"

Azlee and Spider swapped a look; it was the latter who named a price. Removing four of the jewels with the deft ease of a magician the Doctor tossed two to Azlee and the other two to Spider.

"There you go that should cover it, with a little interest," he took a sip of the purple liquid, "Hmm this is really quite good; Vaxan why don't you buy you two ex employees a glass each?"


End file.
